Chapter 154 - 153: A Dance of Predictions and Projections

Pom-Pom looked over the group, scanning them seriously before speaking: "Passengers, the jump route meeting is about to begin. First, Pom-Pom would like to thank—" Pom-Pom started the formalities, thanking the crew for their actions. But just as he began, Pei Guang leaned in to whisper in March 7th's ear: "Watch closely. If Pom-Pom can announce the next destination without any interruptions, it means I was wrong." "And what if you're right?" March 7th whispered back. Pei Guang, still watching Pom-Pom, replied before the conductor could continue: "As soon as he says the next destination's name—or right at that moment—something will interrupt us, and we'll be forced to go somewhere else." Pom-Pom began to speak, and right as Pei Guang predicted, before he could announce the destination, a projection suddenly appeared before them all. The figure in the projection had a mature body, but their face was hidden under a black umbrella, leaving everyone unsure of their identity at first glance. As the projection appeared, bright fireworks erupted all around. Red, yellow, green—fireworks of all colors burst from the projection. The bizarre combination of a dramatic entrance and celebratory fireworks made the whole thing look oddly festive. Initially, the sudden projection could have been intimidating, but the fireworks made Himeko's lips twitch. She had already heard from Stelle about Pei Guang's encounter with Silver Wolf and was aware that Silver Wolf had some kind of special effects tied to her attacks. But seeing them in action like this? She hadn't expected the effect to be used this way. Kafka, too, had a frozen expression. Silver Wolf had mentioned a "small issue," but Kafka hadn't anticipated that this would be the issue! There was no helping it now, though. Kafka had to play along. "Long time no see, everyone aboard the Astral Express." Hiding her embarrassment behind the black umbrella, Kafka paused for a moment, then raised it to reveal her face and began introducing herself. At the sight of Kafka's face, March 7th couldn't hold back her laughter, and Seele burst out laughing as well. Stelle, however, froze at the sight. Kafka had already resigned herself to the situation. She glanced at the message Silver Wolf had sent her: "Don't worry. As long as you don't feel awkward, the awkwardness belongs to everyone else." With that, Kafka decided to fully embrace the moment. So what if there were fireworks? She'd treat it like a celebration for everyone. Kafka's projection stepped forward toward the group. "Hmm~ Timing's just right, everyone's here... seems like no one's missing." As Kafka approached Himeko, Himeko's tone was cold as she dismissed her: "Your charming introductions are unnecessary, Stellaron Hunter." Himeko refocused her attention on Kafka. She had already prepared herself to counter any further hacking attempts from the Stellaron Hunters, ready to shut down the communication if Kafka tried anything. "Himeko, isn't it?" Kafka stretched out her left hand and pointed at Himeko with a single finger. The tension between the two women was palpable, and even March 7th, who had been watching, felt the intensity of the moment. But then she suddenly remembered something and stepped behind Pei Guang, giving him a gentle push. "Invincible Pei Guang! You're way too accurate with your predictions—help Himeko out!" To March 7th, there was no way they could let someone who looked as shady as Kafka take the upper hand. Pei Guang: "No problem, leave it to me. Himeko is someone I like a lot, after all." Pei Guang had always admired Himeko. Though they hadn't interacted much, every time they met, Himeko left a strong impression on him—like a mature, reliable figure looking out for him, even paving the way for him. In Pei Guang's experience, these kinds of veteran characters were trustworthy, but they were also the ones most likely to meet tragic fates later on. If this were a game with multiple playthroughs, Pei Guang wouldn't hesitate to do whatever he wanted in subsequent runs. But since this was the "first playthrough" (and possibly the only one), he wasn't going to let any harm come to the people he cared about. Pei Guang stepped forward: "Stellaron Hunter... is it?" Kafka hadn't even finished her sentence when Pei Guang suddenly burst out laughing: "Pfft!" His laugh was like a trigger, and March 7th couldn't help but join in, giggling. The reason was simple: when Kafka had opened her mouth to speak, fireworks had shot out. Kafka's expression froze at their laughter. Pei Guang quickly composed himself: "Sorry, I've had professional training. No matter how funny something is, I won't laugh... unless I can't help it." March 7th had almost managed to stifle her giggles, but Pei Guang's line pushed her and Stelle over the edge, and they both burst into laughter. Even Himeko had to turn her head and cover her mouth to hide a smile. As everyone laughed, Kafka chose to ignore it. She looked at Pei Guang with curiosity. "Hmm~ Pei Guang, I know about you. I know a lot. Silver Wolf holds you in high regard, and Elio has foretold countless futures with you in them. A player from another world... Do you have anything you'd like to say? Or perhaps, a prediction?" At this point, Pei Guang realized how tricky Kafka was. She was definitely on a whole other level than Cocolia. But no matter how high-level she was, Pei Guang wasn't fazed. He was just guessing at her motives and where the plot might be headed. If he was wrong, so what? Pei Guang: "Let me take a guess. You mentioned 'predictions,' didn't you?" Kafka raised an eyebrow, intrigued: "Mm-hmm?" Clearly interested in what he might say, Kafka watched Pei Guang closely, waiting to hear his thoughts. Drawing on the information he'd gathered in Belobog, combined with Silver Wolf's appearance and Dan Heng's odd behavior, Pei Guang shared his theory: "Let me guess. You want us to change our destination, right? You want us to head to the Xianzhou—where Dan Heng was exiled and banned from ever returning—don't you?" Kafka snapped her fingers, and a small firework appeared from her fingertips. "How interesting. You don't have any ability to foresee the future, yet you've managed to figure out what I was going to say. That's right—I want you to change your destination to 'Xianzhou Luofu.' Go on, keep guessing. Show me what has Silver Wolf so captivated about you, Player. Let's see how much more you can figure out." Pei Guang thought for a moment. "Then let me make another guess: from Herta's Space Station to Belobog, all the crises we've encountered have been connected to Stellarons. So, I'd bet the Xianzhou is facing a Stellaron crisis too, right?" Kafka raised an eyebrow, and a projection of Blade appeared beside her. "You guessed right. Forty-five hours ago, Xianzhou Luofu experienced a Stellaron crisis. This crisis has nothing to do with us, but Xianzhou has already blamed the Stellaron Hunters. My companion Blade has been captured by the Cloud Knights, and I need to get him back, clear our name, and resolve the crisis." Hearing this, March 7th crossed her arms, clearly irritated. "Nothing to do with you? You just happen to get captured as soon as the Stellaron crisis erupts? And why should we help you? You're not Silver Wolf, and we only helped because she's Pei Guang's companion. Why should we care about your innocence?" March 7th was annoyed, remembering Pei Guang's earlier prediction. She had a feeling that the Stellaron Hunters were trying to manipulate Pei Guang somehow, and the thought of it made her more upset—she even started feeling a bit resentful towards Silver Wolf. Pei Guang raised a hand, calming March 7th. "Calm down, March. I have a feeling it's not that simple. I looked into Xianzhou's background. They're incredibly powerful—just a Stellaron by itself wouldn't be enough of a threat to them. I think what's happening is tied to the Stellaron, but it's also something far more dangerous—maybe something that could destroy or severely cripple Xianzhou, maybe even wipe it out completely. The Stellaron might be connected to some kind of boss strong enough to do that." Pei Guang had learned about Xianzhou's strength from Dan Heng's descriptions and from his own investigation using his battleship. Xianzhou was a powerful organization directly blessed by the Aeons, and each of their generals had the strength of an Emanator. For them to face such devastation, it had to mean they were up against something truly overwhelming. March 7th, now worried, asked, "But what does that have to do with us? If even Xianzhou can't handle this, what can we do?" Pei Guang thought for a moment. "We can't defeat it, but I suspect that our mission here isn't to eliminate the Stellaron or the enemies directly. Instead, we're supposed to help Xianzhou minimize their losses and gain their favor. Right?" Kafka finally showed a genuine expression of surprise. "You truly live up to your title as a player. I barely said anything, yet you've already deduced the entire situation. You've saved me a lot of trouble. However, I can't reveal much more. I'll only say that our goals are aligned. I've left the coordinates for Xianzhou Luofu—whether you go there or not is up to you. I hope we meet again on Xianzhou." Though Kafka appeared to be looking at Himeko and Pei Guang, her gaze briefly shifted towards Stelle. After that final glance, both Kafka and Blade's projections vanished. Pei Guang noticed Kafka's subtle look towards Stelle, and it gave him even more to think about.